My Knight in Shining Armor
by littlesparrow33
Summary: Complete The movie from Geoffrey Chaucer's point of view and an epilogue of my own. Onesided GeoffWill at first. WillJocelyn. MF MM *Revised as of April 20, 2011*
1. The Introduction and the Rescue

*~ Disclaimer ~* I do not own any of the characters, language, plots, or locations from A Knight's Tale.

Somebody else holds all rights to A Knight's Tale and this story is only created for pleasure, not profit.

Author's Note: This has been edited as of 2011. I hope any previous readers will approve of the improvements and that you find it as enjoyable as before. Thanks for reading.

The Introduction and the Rescue

Geoffrey Chaucer was trudging. Dirty, tired, and utterly miserable, he felt as though he could drop right where he was and never rise to meet the light of day again. He supposed the situation warranted something poetic and beautiful, a spout of gorgeous lyrics of woe and misfortune, but right now he had no audience and simply felt… low. A stir of voices and the chopping of horse's hooves echoed ahead of him and he steeled himself for the embarrassment ahead. Geoff saw the shadows of the men, two on the ground and one on the horse, all arguing. They looked rather scruffy, so he figured that they had been traveling for quite a while, and seemed a bit out of sorts… but it wasn't quite as bad as his own situation, he supposed. He passed them, patting the horse and wished them a good morning, trying to quickly move on his way.

"Why, sir." Pause. "What are you doing?"

Ah, so one of them decided to address him. Not too surprising, given his current state was one of undress. He'd had many comments and sneering thugs as of late. Hopefully they wouldn't be inclined to beat him, like the group before last. With a look back, he answered.

"Ah, trudging." Pause. What, were these men idiots? Geoff snickered to himself, thinking they looked like a bunch of gaping fish. "You know, trudging. To trudge. To trudge, the slow, weary, depressing, yet determined, walk of a man who has nothing left in his life except the impulse to simply soldier on."

He turned to walk away again and was stopped by the next inquiry.

"Well, were you robbed?"

Mildly embarrassed by his nudity, Geoff turned to look at the speaker, the very same that had spoken to him before. He was the blonde one, the one on the horse. The man had an honest sort of face and Geoff was surprised to see concern written there. That was something new to add to the reactions he had seen today.

"Uh, interesting question actually, yes, and at the same time a huge, resounding no. It's more sort of an involuntary vow of poverty, really," Geoff replied as he kept on moving. "But you know, on the brighter side, trudging does represent pride. Pride, resolve, and faith in the Good Lord Almighty. Please, Christ, rescue me from my contribu-ah!" Damn rocks. "-lations."

"Who are ya?"

Ah, the other one speaks. This man was more portly, but asked the question in a practical manner, a man of information, Geoff thought. Well, perhaps he could give them a little culture along with his philosophy lessons.

"Lily emintus finis. The Lily Among the Thorns. Geoffrey Chaucer's the name. Writings the game." There was another pause. Now _that_ was a harsh blow to his pride. Not even a flicker of recognition! Geoff turned back to them, incredulous. "_Chaucer_? Geoffrey Chaucer, the writer?" What an insult! What an outrage that they had not heard of him!

"A what?" The third one asked.

Oh, well. That explained a lot. Still, this was getting ridiculous. "A what? A what? A writer! You know, I _write_ …with ink and parchment. For a penny I scribble ya anything you want from Summonses to Creeds, Edicts, Warrants, Patents of Nobility. I've even been known to jot down a poem or two if the muse descends. You've probably read my book, the Book of the Duchess?" Pause. Well, at least now he wasn't expecting much out of this bunch. "Yes, well, it was allegorical."

"Well, we won't hold that against you, that's for each man to decide for himself." Ah, yes. Very funny, Mr. Practical. Way to save yourself from being viewed as ignorant.

"Did you say Patents of Nobility?"

Geoff looked at the blonde who had a _very _odd expression on his face. Now _that_ was interesting. Perhaps he had more to gain from this bunch than he originally thought. The lad's face certainly was _interested_, try as he might to remain aloof. "Yes. That's right I did. And you gentlemen are?"

The blonde held himself up straighter and tried for a confident explanation. "Well. Well, I am Sir Ulrich Van Lichtenstein from Gelderland. And these here are my faithful squires: Delves of Dodgington and Faulherst of Crew." Oh Christ, he thought _that_ was convincing? Geoff couldn't control himself and the laughter and sarcasm spilled out into the air.

"I'm Richard the Lionheart, pleased to meet you. No, wait a minute! I'm Charlemagne! No I'm Saint John the—" And suddenly he was meeting the the ground again. 'Oh earth, how I missed thee,' he mused. Ouch. The blonde may look delicate and open, but he certainly had his claws.

"Alright. Hold your tongue sir, or lose it." One could almost be frightened of those blue eyes, Geoff certainly felt something but he chose not to look into it too much and instead moved to prove his point.

"You see, now _that_ I do believe, Sir Ulrich." A little force can go a long way, Mr. Wannabe-Knight. Geoff grinned.

"Thank you," he paused. "Geoff." Geoff kept the smile on his face; it wasn't everybody who dismissed formality for nicknames so easily; this man was definitely not nobility. The man backed up and stalked over to his friends, but he kept his eye on Geoff.

"Have you any more to say Master Nude or having failed your test may we be on our way?" And now they come to the good part, Geoff thought with some glee. He made himself comfortable, or as comfortable as he could be naked and on the ground.

"Oh, you're off to the tournament, are you?" He tried to sound casual.

"This is the road to Rouen, isn't it?"

"Well, you know, that really remains to be seen. See they're limiting the field at Rouen. Noble birth must be established for four generations on either side of the family. Patents of Nobility must be provided." A dramatic bite of the lip and another significant pause came about. Obviously the subtlety was lost on them for now, but he could always tell them later if they helped him move along. "Listen, clothe me, shoe me, for god's sake feed me, let me ride that horse a bit and you'll have your patents."

The ruffians muttered amongst themselves for a while. Geoff tried to hear them, but still waited fairly patiently for the verdict. Mutters of "We need him… Be nice," were heard next and Geoff tried not to look overly smug. The third lad, a tall redhead, began to walk over to Geoff. This one didn't seem to have the practicality of the second one, nor the open-faced look of the first. No, this one reminded Geoff more of the group that had used him as a punching bag briefly. But he seemed mostly harmless and a little dimwitted, to be quite frank.

"Nice… nice, nice," the man muttered to himself, then knelt down in front of Geoff. "All right, uh, betray us, and I will fong you until your insides are out, your outsides are in, your entrails will become your extrails. I will break… all the… Pain. Lots of pain." As he was talking, Geoff could not keep the befuddled look off of his face. 'I know he's trying to talk to me, but I don't know what on earth he's speaking,' he thought, amused. 'Like conversing with a child, what have I got into, now?'

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After a rather nice performance for the gatekeepers of Rouen, Geoff was smug when everything went through. He was indeed the greatest of the greats. As he walked up to the newly-knighted blonde—William, he was called—Geoff was extraordinarily pleased at the startled and ecstatic look on William's face. "I couldn't believe it, you did it Chaucer! I have to thank you, I didn't believe we had a chance." Well, he certainly had a chance with Geoffry Chaucer to—Oh! Geoff could see some dice-throwers off the side. Back to reality, he answered.

"My pleasure, William. Now if you don't mind, I think I'll stick around and see how things turn out." He really had to wonder by this time if the lad was any good or if he was just chasing the wind.

"Act as my herald and you will receive your share of the winnings." Well, now. Another chance to display his poetic genius? Of course!

"Done. Now if you don't mind, I have to go see a man about a dog." And he strolled around, looking for the best place to up his earnings a little bit. Perhaps they had some higher-stakes dice in the alleys…?

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Well this is an embarrassing situation, Geoff mused. Not two hours of clothes when they're taken off his back again. He had sent the man for his new "master," the honorable Sir Ulrich, in hopes that he might be able to be clothed once more. Geoff did tend to miss the feel of cloth against his skin at times. It was a rather royal feeling, to have pants and a shirt. The debtor came back in with William, and Geoff was surprised to feel a brief moment of shame at the look in his eyes.

A simple statement from William, "You were never robbed, were you?"

Rather flustered by his unexpected response a moment ago, Geoff scrambled to explain. "Look, I have a gambling problem. I can't help myself. And these people, they'll quite literally take the clothes off your back." Perhaps William would at least appreciate the humor of the situation. But Geoff's hopes were rather dashed at his next words.

"What do you expect us to do about it?"

"He assured us you, his Liege, would pay us." That horrible, blasted hellhound, Geoff cursed silently. He didn't need to sound so… happy about the situation. He watched William turn his eyes to the man.

"And who are you?" Well, at least William was beginning to act more like a noble, since he hadn't acknowledged the other man until he spoke.

"Peter. A humble pardoner and purveyor of religious relics." 'Pardoner? I sincerely doubt it,' Geoff thought.

"How much does he owe you?" At least William decided to ask the damage. Perhaps he would help.

"Ten gold florins." The stunned and annoyed look on William's face said enough.

"You lanky git!" The redhead—Wat—turned out to be a beater after all. Geoff always was a good judge of character. He put up some struggle against the fiery man, if only to keep some of his own respect.

"Hey, hey, hey Wat. Let him go." Thank God, at least William had a sense of honor. That was more than he could say for some of the other knights. But would it be enough? May as well let them know it hurt, he was already down as low as he could get, standing there, being beaten naked.

"Ow!"

William gave him a look of contemplation and asked, "What would you do to him if I was to refuse?" Oh Christ, those words… those horribly deliberate words. They cut to Geoff like a knife through air. Refuse? Could he? _Would_ he…? He met William's eyes, surprised to see the face that was so open before looking closed to him.

"We, on behalf of the lord God, would take it from his flesh, so that he may understand that gambling is a sin."

On second thought, there was a new low. Geoff realized that he wasn't above begging at this point. The mere feel of the debtor's staff against his shoulder was more painful than being forced to stand in the nude. Geoff could handle words; he wasn't really a man of pain. "Oh, come on. Please Will—" Wait, he couldn't give them away, not now! "Please will you help me, Sir Ulrich? I promise you won't regret it."

William gave him another look, this time holding a bit of compassion from before as he spoke, "I don't have the money." And now was the moment of defeat, which felt worse than William's implied refusal. His head lowered, unable to take the condemnation of William's words. But then there was a pause, followed by, "Release him. And for God's sake give him back his clothes, and you'll get it." Geoff looked up at the man in front of him, amazed that William would take on his debt to keep him free. Geoff felt, what was probably the most sincere gratitude, that he had ever felt in his life. This man, William… well, there was so much potential there.

"Done."

Geoff mouthed a silent "Thank you," to Will, and felt something overcome him. It was a sense that, if Will really did well in the tournament, Geoff would stand by him beyond today. And if the tournament did not go well, he would do everything in his power to repay this debt.

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	2. The Tournament and the Challenge

*~ Disclaimer ~* I do not own any of the characters, language, plots, or locations from A Knight's Tale.

Someone else holds all rights to A Knight's Tale and this story is only created for pleasure, not profit.

The Tournament and the Challenge

They were getting ready for the jousting when William turned to him in some excitement. "Geoff, 'tis my lady." Geoff looked over and was immediately exasperated. Honestly, didn't the man know when to quit? Sure he had proved himself in the sword ring, in fact, he had gone beyond what Geoff had expected and he had excelled. But there are some points where you simply had to draw the line.

"Oh geez, William, you aim too high." The woman was obviously high-born and though William may have the heart to joust, surely he didn't know the pains involved with upper-class women.

"Oh, if there's another way to aim I don't know it." Christ, that was an understatement. Really, it only took a few hours before Geoff realized that William's head didn't fall below the clouds in the sky. It was a wonder that Roland was able to put up with a dreamer like William.

Speaking of which… "Concentrate." Geoff had to agree with Roland here; though romance was fun and quite enjoyable, really, this was certainly not the time.

"What shall I say to her?" William asked, as though he hadn't even heard the other man. Well, at least he was acknowledging that Geoff was a master of words. With a bit of pride, Geoff decided to humor his new friend. He whispered the right words in William's ear and sent him on his way to try to charm the lady. Geoff watched as he rode over to speak to her, and it seemed at first as though William was doing well, since the woman leaned back with a grin on her face. But soon after that, the man next to her spoke, and Geoff could tell that William was being ridiculed. And in front of his "foxy lady" no less. That must have put a dent into his pride. Geoff watched as William rode back over in a fury. He would have to keep an eye on the man next to the "foxy lady" and see what he could do to assert William's honor.

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After a very moving speech, Geoff beamed at the crowd. "Thank you! Thank you, I'll be here all week!" Yes, this was a true success, and hopefully would help inflate William's ego, if he followed what exactly he was being praised for.

"Well, that was different." Roland looked as though he was face to face with some child who had spouted something ridiculous in front of his parents.

Geoff mentally scoffed at the portly man's lack of imagination. "Well it's time we celebrated our differences." Surely it wasn't so bad.

"Just, maybe not in public." Well, to each their own; the crowd seemed to approve of it anyway, and he was nothing if not a crowd-pleaser.

Now Wat came up to speak in his own threatening voice, "_You_…" It seemed the redhead wasn't too impressed with the speech either.

"Yes, Master Faulherst, I'm well aware there's a 'fonging' on the way." Whatever "fong" meant, he hadn't quite figured out what that particular phrase of dialect entailed. Although Geoff was quite sure that it had to do with a beating, perhaps there was something specific that went with the term as well. Fascinating for a man of Geoff's literary interests.

"Yeah, oh yeah…" Geoff ignored Wat and went up to William.

"Now I've got their attention, you go and win their hearts." Not much of a pep talk, but the man did have a joust to attend to. Geoff watched with interest as William rode off to take on Colville.

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Geoff was very relieved; it seemed that his knight had some skills after all. "…Very good."

"Was she watching? Geoff?" Whoa, talk about a one-track mind. Geoff smiled inwardly; well, to those in love, there's only one important thing in the world. Geoff decided to humor the man once again.

"What?"

"Did she see me?"

"Yeah, she saw you."

"Did she see me take the hit?"

"Yeah, she saw you take the hit."

"Well, was she concerned?"

"It was dreadful, her eyes welled up, it was awful." Geoff snickered to himself. A lady like that with tears in her eyes over a hit? Quite unlikely. It made William happy, however, and he looked pleased and manly. Geoff watched the rest of the match quietly, approving when William allowed a draw. It suited his image as the fair, honest knight with honor, courage, and mercy. Perhaps he could write something on it, Geoff considered. William was turning out to be quite the character.

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Geoff walked over to the group with the noblewoman's lady-in-waiting in tow, "My liege." My, my, it seemed William was spacing again, or trying to prepare for the match, or whatever. Well, this introduction couldn't wait. "Sir Ulrich. Christiana." A short glance at Roland told Geoff that William was not the only one who was prone to infatuation at first sight. Roland could not take his eyes off the fair maid of the "foxy lady."

"My lady bids you wear this token."

"Well, of course." 'Of course, of course, mustn't refuse a token, mustn't we,' Geoff thought a bit sarcastically. William looked only too delighted to accept the light scarf.

"She also said to tell you, her name… is Jocelyn." Geoff appreciated the well-timed pause that Christiana delivered. It was nice to know that others also had a flair for the dramatic, as well as him.

"Jocelyn…" It seemed William was going to space out again.

"Au revoir." Geoff bid the fair lady farewell.

"Au revoir." A very polite and beautiful young lady indeed. At least Roland had good taste. Geoff looked at him to find that he was still looking in the direction that Christiana had left.

"Oh, Jocelyn," William murmured. Geoff gave Roland a nudge, so hopefully he could stop William from making doe-eyes at the air.

"Concentrate." Mission accomplished, sort of. At least now William wasn't completely out of his mind, for the moment. And now getting ready to ride against the rude knight who had spurned him before.

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Geoff was mad, to say the least. This Count Ademar was no honorable knight and certainly had no humility or care to speak of. Nevertheless, Geoff shoved Wat back from rushing at the bastard after the count had insulted William. It would not do to have William's squires behaving poorly in front of the nobility. "Well done, my lord, well done."

"You bastard!…" Wat was spitting furious at whatever the man had said to offend.

"Go and see to Ulrich. Go and see to Ulrich!" And thank god the name must've have gotten through Wat's thick skull because he turned back while Geoff clapped unenthusiastically. "Well done, my lord. Noble victory." It was infuriating, but for the moment there were more important things to attend to rather than gain vengeance on Ademar. That could be done later, at a different tournament perhaps. Still, to praise the Count, even quietly, left a bitter taste in his mouth.

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After their little spat with the little female blacksmith, William tossed the remainder of the golden horse at Roland with some exasperation. "Get what you can out of that, the rest of us will pack camp."

"Why we leaving so soon?" A surprisingly respectable question, Wat. What was William thinking?

"Tournament at Lagny-Sur-Marne starts in a week. We leave now, we can walk most of the way and save the horse."

And the lessons so far this tournament had not all sunk in yet; leaving now was not acceptable. To be a knight, William would have to do more than that and Geoff told him so. "No. You have to go to banquet tonight. You have to dance. You have to make an appearance." Nobility, unfortunately, was more than beating the hell out of the other opponents. He would have to make William stay.

But William was stubborn. "Oh, and have Ademar laugh at me again? No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes." This was rather fun, actually.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes." Like a lover's spat, heh.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

Geoff and William stopped at the sound of Roland notably clearing his throat. Well, look who had arrived! The lovely Christiana. "My lady would know the color of your lord's tunic tonight."

Roland looked pleasantly dazed that Christiana was speaking to him, but then somewhat confused. "His tunic?"

"Yes, so that she can dress to match him." Obviously, Geoff thought with a grin, what else would she want to know for, Roland? This might be perfect to con William into acting his part…

"We regret to inform your lady that we won't actually be attending…"

As expected, William jumped in, "Herald, do not answer questions you don't know the answer to."

"Absolutely, my lord." Well it looked like all the man needed was a little incentive. But it was so much fun to tease him. Geoff hid his grin as he turned away. He listened to how this would play out.

"Uh, Squire, answer her. What color is my tunic tonight?"

Roland was thinking hard and his hesitation showed through at first. "Uhh… green. Trimmed in a kind of… pale green. With, uh, wooden toggles."

Poor Roland, Christiana did not look terribly impressed with him, Geoff thought. "I will tell my lady," she curtseyed and left.

"Oh, this is a disaster!" What was William talking about now? Surely it wouldn't be so bad; the nobles seemed to like it and all, though Geoff would agree that dances were not entirely to his tastes. At least he would be with his lady-love, right?

"Oh, I think the tunic will look quite nice. Give us your dagger, Wat." The man moved over to the tent and Geoff noticed the fabric with an inward laugh.

"That's not a disaster Roland." Geoff stood, looking at him. William had the funniest expression on his face, right then. "I don't know how to dance." Geoff's eyes widened. _That_ was it? He was inclined to laugh, but as he looked at William fidgeting, he couldn't help but think how… adorable… he looked right there. Geoff wrenched his mind around the thought, well, he could laugh later. Right now, they will need his expertise… if that was the right word for it.

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Somehow, they had made it through their first tournament act, and now it would seem that after teaching William how to dance, the blacksmith, Kate, had also taken a liking to him. That wasn't very difficult to understand; it seemed that the man was destined to attract others. But the real question was if she would match up to what she seemed to think she could accomplish. Her new armor did seem flimsy at a quick glance, but Geoff didn't care much for the details and simply focused on his writing until he heard, "Do you at least have the courage to test it?"

Well now, it seemed the spunky blacksmith had found William's weakness for courage and pride. He had to watch this. They set William up with a big log aimed directly for him. Geoff glanced at Kate, who seemed convinced in the abilities of her armor. Well, with determination like that, it was hard to argue, but as he saw Will struck backward by the log, he couldn't help but feel somewhat concerned for his well-being.

"Are you all right, Will?" Roland was worried as well, it seemed. Geoff didn't see any dents in the armor itself, but William looked so simply dumbfounded that he wasn't sure what to think.

"I didn't feel a thing!" Geoff took in the wide grin on William's face and relaxed. Once proven, Geoff had to admit that the new armor did suit William a lot better. One could say it looked absolutely smashing on him… But anyway, it looked as though they had picked up a personal blacksmith for a while.

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	3. Prizes Lost and Found

*~ Disclaimer ~* I do not own any of the characters, language, plots, or locations from A Knight's Tale.

Someone else holds all rights to A Knight's Tale and this story is only created for pleasure, not profit.

Prizes Lost and Found

Geoff ran as fast as he could. He _must_ stop William from riding; if he tilted against Colville, not only would he be endangering royalty, he would be taking a huge risk of being arrested and exposing himself. "Wait! Wait! Colville is Edward. The Black Prince of Wales. Future Kind of England."

"Well he's in disguise like me so he can compete." Geoff nearly groaned. William was completely missing the point of the matter.

"He has never met an enemy without victory he has never attacked a town he could not defeat."

"We're English, Geoff, we know who he is," Wat spat out. Well, Wat, why don't _you_ explain to William why he can't compete against him then?

Luckily, the real voice of reason in the form of Roland spoke up. "You must withdraw, Will. Go tell them, they're about to drop the flag."

"Absolutely." Without waiting for William's certain protest, Geoff ran to save William from feeling the need to complete this match.

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Watching William tilt against Edward, Geoff felt faint. "Oh, my giddy aunt." That man would be the death of him. Geoff walked down to where William was riding to meet Edward in a parlay. "Are you _mad_? You knowingly endanger a member of the royal family?"

"He knowingly endangers himself." That was true enough, but Geoff wondered if William truly saw the _real_ danger in riding against royalty. Men of that stature could control your life. He waited anxiously as the two conferred and was relieved when Edward took no action again William. He breathed again, trying to set aside the fear that William could have had his life taken away for risking the life of the Prince. And having William's life taken away… would surely leave Geoff with nothing. Geoff moved on to follow William down the track. William was certainly a knight at heart, but what would that cost him in the end? How long would this dream last for all of them…?

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William tossed the golden prize at Roland. "Here. Melt it down. Sell it. Do whatever you do." Well, it seemed that winning the tournament wouldn't be enough for William this time around. Geoff wondered if they would have to deal with this nasty William very often. Righteous anger suited him just fine, but this was rather petulant.

"Yes, your Majesty." Roland appeared to agree on the matter and sounded very sarcastic even as he moved to do what he was asked… well, told, really. Perhaps they could cheer him up and they could all suffer a little less.

"William, you're tournament champion!" That was the right idea, Geoff could approve of Wat's outright ways on this one occasion. Not that he would ever tell him that.

But William wasn't hearing it. "I'm not champion until I defeat Ademar. Ademar withdrew." And the thorn sinks in deeper. Well, there would always be the next tournament. Geoff could at least understand his need to exact revenge on the one who had mocked him before. As he would violate Simon and Peter, his former debtors, Will needed to knock Ademar back and prove his worth. It was just… foolish.

"Sir Ulrich." Geoff watched with no little gratitude as the beautiful Jocelyn approached. Ah, perhaps she could cheer up their man, Geoff thought.

"Oh." Or maybe not.

"I've come to see what you'll wear to banquet tonight."

"Nothing."

"Well, then we'll cause a sensation for I'll dress to match." Whoa, William! If nothing else, take this chance to cheer yourself out of your slums!

"Look, don't you ever get tired of putting on clothes?" That was painful to witness, as William knocked himself back a peg. Geoff simply had to help him or William would certainly regret it.

"I believe she's talking about taking them off, my lord." If that didn't clarify the point, then Geoff was certain that nothing else could. He hoped that William would take this opportunity, though something inside him still disliked the idea. They were mismatched, even without considering William's state of birth. Geoff didn't really feel that the nobleman's daughter could truly match up with William, but hopefully after the physical appeal was over William could get his head out of the clouds and focus on something else. He could focus on the tournaments, on his team, or…

Jocelyn, however, took just offense, "A flower is only as good as its petals, don't you think?"

And William was just as clever at putting his foot in his mouth, "A flower is good for nothing." Oh dear, it seemed as though William had learned nothing. Geoff sighed to himself. William could certainly be dense sometimes. There was no fairytale perfection here, though Geoff wished his pen could whip some of it into something more romantic and appealing for a knight. But perhaps… there was just nothing he could do about William. Geoff wasn't even sure he _wanted_ to change it. The man was… _real_.

"Really?" Yes, really Jocelyn, Geoff muttered in his head. Don't be daft, he's in a mood.

William tried to argue, as if he was trying to make a point for his own irritation. "Well, you can't eat a flower. A flower doesn't keep you warm."

"And a rose never knocked a man off a horse either, did it?" Geoff could admit that the girl did have some poetic flair, but it wasn't much. She was the type that expected romance heaped upon her, not to create it in itself. Jocelyn wanted something to inspire love or to be the inspiration to a lover, like a muse, but not to make romance on her own. Geoff was much better than her—in that particular sense—with poetry.

"You're just a silly girl, aren't you?" Geoff wasn't even paying much attention at this point, merely standing by, somehow mollified from William's hateful mood by the fact that he was lashing out at Jocelyn instead of his own men.

"Better a silly girl with a flower, than a silly boy with a horse and a stick." And it seemed that was the last they would see of her, at least, until William came to his senses. Geoff wondered how long that would take; pride was a particular strong point with William. Geoff watched William walk away and heard a soft goodbye from Christiana to Roland. At least those two were making some headway after tiptoeing around each other this whole time.

"It's called a lance. Helloo…" Geoff suppressed a chuckle. Wat certainly knew how to take as little as possible from the whole affair. But it did lighten the mood a fraction.

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They made it to the next tournament and Geoff did not envy himself at the moment. He was walking back from the lists, attempting to prepare himself for William's reaction to the news on the tournament challengers.

"What?" William seemed impatient today, as he had been on and off for a while now. Well, time for the bad news.

"I have word. Ademar has been called back to the Free Companies. The Black Prince commanded it. He could be gone all season." Geoff watched as William's face became enraged and sympathized with him. To be withheld from your arch nemesis was simply wrong, just as wrong as being held from your true love. One needs their nemesis to maintain what it is they are living for. They must define themselves by their presence. The only way William would be able to make peace with himself would be to defeat the dark man. Geoff hoped that he was wrong, for once, and that Ademar would be back in the tournaments before the end of the season.

Then Wat opened his big mouth. "First Jocelyn and now Ademar." 'Yes, way to dig in the old wound as well. Let's just dump heaps of salt on all of his pains, shall we?' Geoff thought sarcastically.

"Argh!" And it had the exact effect that Geoff had suspected. William blew up. But at least his blow up was in the opposite direction of his friends this time. Perhaps he was learning after all.

"Well done."

"Yeah, well done." Geoff had to second Kate on that one. Wat had no tact whatsoever.

"What? I…?" What a buffoon. A charming simpleton, but what an idiot sometimes.

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And again at the following tournament: "No Ademar." Geoff was sorry to report the news to William, but there was no helping it.

"No Ademar." At least William wasn't blowing smoke out of his ears this time. Perhaps writing that love letter to Jocelyn really had done him some good. Geoff had been surprised to hear poetry come out of his William. It was a rare pleasure to hear such sweet melodies from the rough, simple knight. Well, pretend-knight. It was becoming easier to forget where they all started, and William… He paused in his thoughts as Wat rode into view. William became excited to hear of Jocelyn's response to their combined letter of love, "Wat! Wat, tell me, did you see her? Did she read the letter?"

"Yes and yes." Well, good news for the man at last. Now if it could cheer up William, perhaps Geoff could breathe again.

"And?"

"Ehh…." Geoff knew that kind of dramatic pause and grinned to himself. This would be good news. "She's coming to Paris!" Wat exclaimed. And Geoff was right again; he gave himself an imaginary pat on the back.

William eagerly continued, "Well, did she give you anything for me in return? Did she, did she give you a letter or a token? Did she give you a token? She did?" Geoff had to admit it was quite amusing to see William scramble about in his excitement. Like a child that found a treat just out of his reach. Wat mumbled to himself a bit and Geoff could not read it for once. He wondered what Jocelyn could have given him for Wat to make such an uncomfortable face. "Well what is it, Wat? Come on, give it to me!"

Geoff's eyes went wide as Wat gave William a kiss. On the lips. There was a stunned pause before William's face unfroze, "Yes! Yeah, hwooo! Hell, yes. She… she…that means she… Yeah! Yes, yes, yes, yes!" Well, this was interesting. Apparently William was a lot more open-minded than Geoff had originally thought; either that or the man was too focused on the overall message to care for the details. And for himself… well, Geoff was finally beginning to recognize the spark of jealously that typically came with his thoughts of William. For now, however, he would have to wait and see how things turned out, as was his style. And in the meantime, he would get himself some nice cold drinks and find something else to occupy his time.

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"God, I'm good!" It would be an understatement to say that Geoff was pleased with himself. He had quite a few excellent brews last night and managed to indulge in some of his old passion, in a very controlled manner, if he did say so himself. At least he had consulted the others before allowing the French dogs to drag the money out of him. A wonderful, rowdy time, and Geoff was pleased to note that though William had passed through his mind from time to time, it was mostly his chances of winning, which were, suffice it to say: very very very good. Unfortunately for Geoff, his grin faltered at the sight of William stopping short of the full track. In confusion, he could only stare as William merely sat there and took the first hit of the joust, full on. Having faith in Kate's armor, and by the fact that William was still on his horse, Geoff knew that he wasn't in serious pain (for the moment), but he could not stop the concern that welled up inside of him. So he did the next best thing and turned it into tight sarcasm as he walked over to where William was being crowded by the others as well.

"Ah, are you blind? Didn't you see the flag?"

"Yes, I saw it, okay?" Then what could possibly make the hardheaded man take a hit like that?

Wat had an idea that he voiced with hope, "I know, I know. You wanna drop behind for a more dramatic victory!" Geoff silently disagreed; although William liked the prestige of the game, he never risked points for drama, even after Geoff had encouraged him to give it a little flair from time to time.

"Look, Jocelyn told me I should lose to prove my love." Geoff could not control the hurt that welled up in his chest at those words. Not only was he losing all of his money, but he was truly losing William's heart. If Jocelyn had this much hold over him (over his pride, even!), then how could Geoff intercede? Even with his expertise at subtleties and scheming, he could never compare with her if she held his heart. So with as much sting as he could muster, Geoff spat at William.

"Oh God, I'd rather you were blind." And he quickly walked away.

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After trying to reason with William and failing, Wat turned to blame Geoff. "I'm gonna lose _everything_!" At this point, Geoff had calmed at bit. Some owing to the hope that he would be able to prove his worth to William at a later time and some owing to the threat of "a good fonging" that was being restrained right in front of him. Geoff wasn't a huge fan of pain, but at the moment, he felt the need for more distraction. Therefore…

"That's why it's called gambling." A little egging on should do the trick.

"Here's your pain!" And here it was. Geoff did attempt to fight back some, but mostly allowed Wat to get some of his frustration out. Geoff could tell Wat was only doing it for that reason and simply directed him away from certain vital parts.

He could hear the others in the background. "It is very romantic, though." 'Sometimes Kate can be quite annoying,' Geoff thought as he received a fresh punch to the gut.

"Are you a woman or a blacksmith?" Good question, ouch!

"Sometimes I'm both."

"Ooh, that chafes!" All right, now Geoff needed some relief.

"Put him down." Yes, the voice of reason, please speak to this barbarian. Geoff winced as Wat dealt a few more throws and let him loose. At least his bruises would keep him occupied later, Geoff thought.

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Though Geoff was still chafing at the current events, he had to wince as he saw the bruises that William now sported. A little encouragement was in order at this point and so he talked statistics. "No one knight has distanced themselves with victories yet. You win all your remaining matches and some of your opponents take key losses, who knows, you could make the semis, even the finals."

"At least the armor's proven itself." True enough; Geoff was grateful to Kate that she was such a good blacksmith.

But Wat wasn't about to let anything slide just yet, as he cranked William's arm. "And your love… Have you proven that _yet_?" Geoff frowned at Wat, the man was obviously taking serious pain, wasn't that enough for now? But William took it in stride and Geoff continued massaging William's shoulders. He guiltily enjoyed the task, though he shouldn't, as William was so injured.

"Oh. Wat you remember church as a boy. Fear the passion. That's what she makes me feel. And for that I say my rosary to Jocelyn and no one else." And William's words took another stab at Geoff's heart. That woman really did inspire his William to romantic bounds. But there is always hope, wasn't that what Kate said? That love should end with hope?

Wat just looked down at the other man. "William, that's blasphemous." And he cranked the arm again.

Geoff released William's shoulders as his arm was released from the crank. William gasped a bit and returned, "Ah—then may I burn in Hell."

Roland tried to break in, "Withdraw. Lose that way, just don't take anymore punishment." Geoff would agree, but he knew that William's pride would stand in the way of ever withdrawing. He wouldn't even withdraw against the bloody Prince of Wales, for god's sake!

"Oh, Roland," William looked at Roland with some regret. He knew that they cared for him, but it just wasn't enough to make him stop in this…idiotic gesture. They all looked up as Christiana appeared in the tent. She sent a smile to Roland, obviously glad to see him again, after their master's spat. Well, at least one romance was working out.

Christiana began, "My lady sends this message. She says that if you love her…"

"I know, I know, I must lose. Hasn't she been watching?" Geoff watched carefully, hands on William's shoulders for encouragement.

But Christiana continued, "She says that if you love her, you will not lose another match. She says that if you love her, you will win this tournament." Geoff did not look at William's expression, but he could imagine the utterly harassed look upon his face at the moment. That noblewoman was certainly something else.

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As William had been given leave to win (_finally_), Geoff figured that he would play into the occasion. He gestured into the stands where Jocelyn sat, "There she is: the embodiment of your love, your Venus."

"And oh how I hate her." Geoff was inwardly pleased at the look and words and outwardly amused. Passionate love was always a pain, and Geoff wondered how William would come to see it in time. Women were certainly a task.

"I don't understand women."

Geoff could admit ignorance when it came to that, but he could not help but poke fun at Wat in his new surge of amusement and hope. "Nor do I but they understand us… Maybe not _you_." He carefully walked away at the look on the redhead's face, pleased.

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Geoff could honestly say that he was pleased to be on the winning end again, after so long. He would have to be careful not to overindulge his habits, but he could not resist a fair bout of gloating at the snobby Frenchmen as he collected their coins. "Forty-eight, forty-nine, and fifty. …Thank you very much gentlemen, it's been excellent doing business with you. Do look us up if you're ever in London, the World Championships, maybe. Oh, come on, don't look too sad. Here, have a drink on me. He's quick, he's funny, he makes me loads of money, Liechtenstein." He talked quickly and sang his pleasure in his own little tune, glad to have earned plenty of loot to keep writing.

As he came around the corner, Geoff spotted Jocelyn moving among the tents, over towards William's tent. He ducked into the shadows and watched her glance around for other observers. Geoff quelled the urge to make a noise and try to spook her away, since he knew that her determination would probably mean she would return later anyway. He murmured to himself, "Guineviere comes to Lancelot." Well, though it pained him, Geoff supposed that William had earned this prize after a day of beatings. He could at least wish him pleasure at the end of the day. "Bed him well, my lady. Bed him well." And he walked away, feeling his heart tug him with every step he took.

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	4. Harsh Truth and Crowning Glory

*~ Disclaimer ~* I do not own any of the characters, language, plots, or locations from A Knight's Tale.

Someone else holds all rights to A Knight's Tale and this story is only created for pleasure, not profit.

Author's Note: This part ends the movie-verse. The next chapter is my own epilogue. Enjoy!

Harsh Truth and Crowning Glory

This was quite possibly one of the worst moments of his life. Chaucer had been the bearer of bad news in the past, even beyond his position as herald for William. There were even times where he relished bringing bad news, such as when Jocelyn would not be present for a tournament or some such thing. But now, his pleasure and paradise was over. Their charmed lives were coming to an end.

Will was talking nonstop as he entered the stable with Jocelyn. "_Alive_. Can you imagine? And I thought he was dead, which is mad because he was always so strong. Very strong. I remember… Geoff. Jocelyn. This day just gets better and better." Geoff could barely look at him, not only would he be delivering the bad news, he had to deliver it at the height of William's joy. He pointedly ignored that it was partly his arrival that had brought William such joy, most of the credit surely went to Jocelyn.

Finally it seemed that Roland could not take the gloom any longer. "Did somebody die?"

With a heavy heart, Geoff made himself say, "Sir Ulrich Van Liechtenstein."

It was the most painful thing in the world, watching William's face turn from overjoyed, to concerned, to disbelief. "What?" Geoff found that he could not speak, luckily, Jocelyn chose then to put her twopence in.

"Ademar followed you last night, to Cheapside. He says he saw your father." William's face became even more filled with fear and denial. Geoff had to tell him and he carefully let out the news.

"Will, they asked me for your patents. They're waiting for you in the lists. They're going to arrest you. A dozen royal guards. They'll put you in the stocks." The stocks, one of the worst punishments the guard had ever thought up. Geoff knew there was little worse than being handed over to the public mob.

William had an anguished look on his face. "Ah, but I face Ademar in five minutes time."

Geoff could nearly cry. Even in the face of danger, William could think of his upcoming challenge with his rival. "No, you forfeit. They've already marked it down." This information probably hurt William more than being discovered. He had never backed down before, and now he was being denied the chance to prove his worth, to his rival and to himself.

Roland spoke up, then. "Saddle the horses, they can arrest your baggage, not you." Everyone quickly began to put their things together, ignoring the fact that William had not moved until…

"Hold." Even now, they were under his influence, such was their respect for him, Geoff thought bitterly. William had truly won them over beyond reason, and Geoff listened as he spoke to Jocelyn. "So, what do you think? Now that you know what I am?"

Jocelyn looked at him with love in her eyes. "Oh, to know what you are, William, would take a lifetime. One I am most willing to give. But right now, you've got to run. There is nothing else to do. Run and I will run with you." Geoff could admit that it was a beautiful idea, romantic, to run away together, but that was not something William could do without a fight.

"Oh Jocelyn. I cannot run. I am a knight, and I will put myself to the hazard." Knightly words.

"A knight in your heart but not on paper and paper is all that matters to them." Roland spoke bitterly, knowing that William _had_ the virtues of knighthood, yet unable to do anything about it. They all knew that William deserved this life and were wretched to find that it would be denied them after all their hard work. Geoff could only listen as William tried to deny this fate.

Jocelyn tried to convince him, "William I love you. I love you. You. And I'm sorry but I won't see you bound away for the stocks."

"But you would see me run, no!"

"Damn your pride, William. It is you and only you that will not see you run."

"My pride is the only thing they can't take from me." Geoff could almost believe him, the way he said it, but he also knew what a jeering crowd could do to a person… pride is something that _can_ be taken away.

Jocelyn knew it too and told William, "They _can_ take it and they will. Oh, they will. But love they cannot take." Of course, Geoff wished they could take love away. Either for himself or for Jocelyn, he wasn't sure, but Geoff didn't think he could bear much more of this. Downtrodden and unwilling to leave, he listened as William poured out his heartbreak.

"Then, then where will we live? In, in my hobble? With the pigs inside in winter so they won't freeze?"

"Yes William, with the pigs, with the pigs. The poor can marry for love." By the tears in her eyes, Geoff could not be sure that Jocelyn would not regret such a pledge later. She was a rogue noblewoman, he could admit that now true enough, but she had lived in comfort her entire life, whether she wished it or no. Geoff had a hunch that she would not be able to last long under the conditions of a poor family.

"Oh Jocelyn, you speak of what you do not know." Apparently William agreed with him. Even William, in his love of Jocelyn, could see that she did not truly understand the consequences; that she could not understand until it happened. But she held firm to her ideals.

"William, I beg you. Please. Run, do it for love." William could argue with her no longer, it seemed, and Geoff felt a small relief as he turned towards his men, his men who loved him and served him with love of their own.

"Roland, you would see me run?" Roland dipped his head in consent. He had been with William the longest and Geoff knew that they were the closest friends and Roland could not see William in pain if he could help it.

"And you, Geoff?" William turned those soulful eyes on Geoff next, ripping him apart.

"Yes, William. I wish it too with all the pieces of my heart." Even if it contradicts his nature, Geoff could not help but wish for William to go, to run from this pain, even if it meant taking Jocelyn.

"Wat. You and I, we're not runners." William looked at his fiery friend with such hope, that one of us would back his wishes, his need to stay, and remain knightly. To live the false dream.

Wat choked out, "Yes. William today we are." William's face was crushed. His last resort of hope was failing in seeing the energetic, fierce redhead tell him that he would back down from a fight.

"Run, William," Kate encouraged, as well. Geoff could never be certain of her will, as women were so mysterious, but it seems that her own love of William would wish him his safety over honor.

But their arguments were in vain. "No! I will not run. I am a knight." William said this desperately and Geoff knew that all of his hopes that William could use the commoner's sense and self-preservation had failed. William would be the knight that he was in his heart, and they could no longer contradict him. He had decided. Jocelyn, with a tear-stained face, held his gaze seriously and seemed to accept his decision, though whether she would stand by him, Geoff could not tell.

"Well boys, all good things must come to an end. Let's end them together." Well put, Roland, Geoff thought. We shall end them as men. And though he did not like pain, Geoff would follow William anywhere, even to face the royal guards, it seems.

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They walked, as a group, toward the lists. Geoff could not help but glance over at William, striding confidently, even now. William had never seemed more knightly than he did today, head held high and ready to face whatever consequences might befall him due to his beliefs and actions. One of the officials approached and they tensed for what was about to happen.

"You will remove yourself from this position of honor."

"I am here to compete." William could not back down, would not back down, and Geoff saw the condemnation of the official in his eyes.

"You are here to be arrested." For a moment, Geoff thought that there would be a fight, but with the guards surrounding them and their spears, they were efficiently separated from William. Geoff watched numbly as they dragged William away, away from him and away from any chance of a future. He was mildly surprised when they were dismissed after William's removal. He had expected to be questioned and taken away, but apparently some stroke of luck had befallen them and the official did not think that they were significant. Exchanging glances with the others, Geoff felt at a loss as of what to do. Slowly, they made their way back to where they were camped and waited.

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The next day of William's sentence had arrived. Geoff saw William's golden head caught in the wood, bowed before the crowd, forced to bend to their will. He watched as a child ran up and smacked William upside the head. It was probably one of the very same children who had cheered William days before. Then Roland appeared on the scene. He took a stance next to William and held a club threateningly. Clearly, he was there to protect William as much as he could. With sharp hearing, Geoff heard William try and make his request of Roland.

"Leave Roland, let them have me."

"God love you William, and so do I." Geoff's heart clenched, 'And so do I,' his mind echoed.

Wat was next to appear, in his usual fierce manner. "Go! Go! Or I will fong you! As Jesus crossed the Nazareth and His most holy mother the Virgin Mary are my witnesses, I will fong you! I will rip, Pain! Loads of pain!"

Apparently this was only egging on the crowd more. This was no way to get them to calm down and leave William alone. Kate also came up to take a stance at William's other side, armory tools in hand. The crowd's mutterings grew louder and they all tensed, prepared to fight for William, while he could not. It was time to try what Geoff could do with them. The crowd had loved Geoff before, had listened to him avidly, and he would _make_ them listen now.

"Listen to me! Listen to me, listen! Listen!" The crowd turned silent and Geoff gladly took this opportunity. "You're cut from the same cloth, you and he!" He watched as some unidentifiable, rotten food blemished his shirt. Geoff calmly ran a finger through the mess and tapped it to his tongue. He looked up and searched the crowd, mockingly. "Mother? Is my mother here? I'd recognize this cooking anywhere."

Geoff was never more relieved to hear the crowd laugh. He smiled and tried to appeal to the mob's new mood. "Mother, please you at least go home. I'll tell you tonight how it turns out. I hope that it is good news Mum. I hope that I can tell you that I managed to convince these good people to leave my lord William unharmed. For I have never seen a heart like the one that beats inside this man. Swollen with all the virtues risen of pride, fought, free, courageous, constant and most of all, filled with hope. At least until today." He walked around passionately, trying to show the crowd everything that he had seen in William. He tried to show them that the knight they had seen on the field yesterday and the man before them today was still the same person. Inevitably, he found himself drawn to William, and he took a moment to stand in front of him and gently rested his hand upon William's head. How it hurt, that he could not look his William in the eye as Geoff poured his heart out. Composing himself, he addressed the crowd once again.

"I ask you what makes a man noble? His lineage or his heart? Thank you very much Mother, you can go home now." Geoff wanted to stop, wanted to crowd to go away, but they needed more. And so he gave them more. "And what are knightly virtues and who decides who may possess them? My lord, it's true was born in Cheapside, London and so what? For he is his true esteem, no, truer. For he is like gold, to me." Finally, his heart had spewed his feelings forward. Geoff wondered what William was thinking now. He wondered if William did know, or if perhaps in his naivete, William truly thought Geoff said all of this as merely a friend. Tears began to make themselves known and he used all of his strength to continue. "He is like gold, and you and I are merely iron. And yet you people, you would come to see him rust. For shame, shame on you. Leave him. Go home. Leave him." Geoff once again moved to stand before William. To try to look him in the eye. He had to show William that every word was true, prove to William that he was indeed a knight to Geoff. His knight, his everything. There was no truer knight to Geoff. Geoff hesitated, however. He tried to compose himself enough that he would at least be able to see William through his tears. In these moments, Geoff heard the crowd beginning to chant behind them. Cries of "Ulrich!" began to distinguish themselves and Geoff found himself with more fury than he knew what to do with. He quickly turned and burst out.

"His name is William!"

This quieted the crowd once again until the chant started up again, this time in the name of William. Geoff, rather surprised that they had truly listened, could barely move and simply let the sounds of William's true name being chanted in his honor. Even Wat began to get caught up with the crowd's chanting and Geoff relaxed. They had seen his worth and now they would not harm him. He had done everything he could for William and was relieved that he had succeeded. Perhaps, with some more arguing, they may even be able to have William released. Suddenly, Geoff saw a few dark hooded men in front of the crowd push back their hoods to reveal Prince Edward, and he was paralyzed. He did not know why the prince was here, but if something should anger him, there was nothing Geoff could do to stop it. Geoff tensed, as Edward approached William, nearly kneeling to face him.

The Black Prince spoke to William, "What a pair we make. Both trying to hide who we are, both unable to do so. Your men love you. If I knew nothing else about you that would be enough. But you also tilt when you should withdraw. And that is knightly too." Geoff saw William look at the prince in confusion and felt the sentiment reflected in himself. He waited for the prince to speak again. "Release him." It took no more words for Geoff. Once he saw William being released, he could stay away no more. Geoff quickly moved around and offered William his support. Grabbing William's arm, he could not get enough of giving William his comfort and he listened to the words of the prince, as William focused on Edward as though the prince was his future, which he was. "He may appear to be of humble origins, but my personal historians have discovered that he is descendent from an ancient royal line. This is my word and as such is beyond contestation." The prince's glare was enough to stop anyone stupid enough to argue. Then he turned back to William, "Now, if I may repay the kindness you once showed me, take a knee."

"Geoff!" It was little more than a rough whisper, shocked and pained from the events, but it was _his_ name that William had spoken. It gave Geoff the warmest pleasure to support William's arm as he kneeled before the Black Prince, who finished what he started.

"By the power invested in me by my father, King Edward, and by all the witnesses here, I dub thee, Sir William."

Geoff sat, head in his hands, relieved in all ways. Finally, William could get the recognition that he deserved. No more pretending to be someone else. No longer would he be torn between what he was and what he knew he could be. His pleasure in William's pleasure was all there was in the moment. Now William could have the future he desired, Geoff hoped that he could make himself a part of that future.

"Arise, Sir William. Can you joust?"

"What?" Geoff nearly laughed, the prince was being playful, fancy that. Had he not just saved William's future, he might've been jealous. As it was, because he had just saved William's future, Geoff was still inclined to be a little jealous, but still glad for his newly knighted William.

"There's my tournament to finish," the prince reminded William. "Now are you fit to compete or shall the forfeit stand?"

"Oh I am fit." Of course William was fit, Geoff nearly laughed again. To face Ademar, William would always be fit.

"I shall have your opponent informed of it. You look for his shield on the lists at once."

"Thank you, my Lord." Geoff silently echoed the sentiments as he moved to help William prepare for the upcoming match, his first as Sir William.

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Finally, William was ready to face off with Count Ademar. Geoff could practically feel the man shaking in his anticipation and need to prove his worth. William had looked for Jocelyn in the seats, but only saw Christiana and looked a little downtrodden. Geoff felt for him and gave the best advice he could give in the moment.

"It's a small target, Will. But aim for his heart."

Geoff went off to the side to let William focus on the joust. He watched as William thundered down the track, felt the strength of his heart fail as he saw the hit that William took to the chest. Something was terribly wrong, as Geoff watched William sway awkwardly around in the horse. He rushed over to see that the lance had stuck in William and was causing him significant pain.

"Oh, god. I'll fetch the surgeon, Will."

"Roland, you're the surgeon now." William could not restrain the cry as Roland tugged out the lance. Geoff felt sick at the sight of William's drawn face and the blood adorning the broken tip. Kate took a hold of it and looked outraged.

"He's tipped it." Surprisingly, William did not react to this; it was almost as though he knew it from the moment he was hit with it. He spoke to Kate.

"Kate, get me back to one. I don't and we forfeit." Kate quickly began to lead him back to the start with Roland as Wat took a look at the lance tip and his fury doubled.

"Filthy son-of-a-bitch." Even such few words held exactly the same anger that flowed through Geoff now and he wanted to be like Wat, just once, and go knock the daylights out of Ademar.

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Geoff watched helplessly, painfully, as William rode the second time and dropped his lance. He must've been in agony for him to be unable to take out his rage with Ademar, Geoff thought. He then saw Jocelyn and William's father come up the stands and take their seats. Geoff moved out onto the field to tell William the news as he was taken back to the start again. Geoff saw Ademar pause and say something, more than likely insulting William and he approached, ignoring the cursed count.

"She's here, William. And so is your father." Geoff watched as a faraway look came to William's eyes and knew that he was not about to give up.

"Change the stars. Let's dance, you and I," William challenged a confused-looking Ademar.

Geoff was pleased to see William's spirits come up again and heard Roland's next words with a mixture of hope and fear.

"It's two lances to none, you must unhorse him or kill him. It's the only way to win."

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Not a minute later saw William delayed at the start as Wat began to lash the next lance to William's arm. Geoff looked worriedly at the flagman, about to show the start of the third round. Quickly, he made his way up to where Prince Edward and the nobles were seated and flung his arm out dramatically, praying silently that this would work.

"Good people, I've missed my introduction!" The crowd cheered and Geoff's fear abated as he saw the squire rest the flag upon the ground. Geoff went on, showing the same amount of passion as he had for the crowd at the stocks. "But please, please I pray you, hear it now. For I would lay rest the grace in my tongue and speak plainly. Days like these are far too rare to cheapen with heavy-handed words. And so I'm afraid without any ado whatsoever (excuse me, my lord), here he is! One of your own! Born a stone's throw away from this stadium, and here before you now, the son of John Thatcher, Sir William Thatcher!"

It was probably going to be one of his last speeches, and it was definitely one of the most important. He watched as William looked his way, breath catching as he did, then turn towards Wat to hear him speak something. Quietly, Geoff whispered, "Godspeed William." Geoff could only pray that the last round with Ademar would not kill him, as vulnerable as he was with his pained chest and no upper armor.

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Geoff's heart soared as he saw William knock Ademar to the ground, as he had so many times promised to do. William's cry as he rode echoed through his mind, the pride and honor in that one word saying more to Geoff than any hundreds of words William had said before. He quickly moved down to celebrate with the others, all moving to hug William.

"You beat him, Will!" It seemed that William's eyes could not get any brighter than in this moment. He had won everything he had ever wanted and done so in his own name with his own strength. William had changed his stars to fit everything he was in his heart. Geoff could not even feel bad as he saw William step away and run to embrace Jocelyn, even knowing that those two had just begun their future together. He even smiled, knowing how a tale like this would make a wonderful book.

"I'm going to have to write some of this story down," he mused aloud.

"Like the part about the prince and the knights?" Wat asked. Wat could be very proper sometimes about what was worth writing about. Geoff laughed to himself.

"No, no, all of it. All human activity lies within the artist's scope. Maybe not _yours_." Geoff grinned as Wat flung an arm around his shoulders and playfully shook him. Apparently miracles do happen, and Geoff and Wat finally understood each other. Maybe, Geoff mused, maybe there was still a miracle waiting to happen. He felt his heart pound as he watched William and Jocelyn embracing in a world of their own, for now. Perhaps he would wait around to see how things turned out. It was his style, after all.

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	5. Endings

*~ Disclaimer ~* I do not own any of the characters, language, plots, or locations from A Knight's Tale.

Someone else holds all rights to A Knight's Tale and this story is only created for pleasure, not profit.

Author's Note: Geoff/Will in this chapter. You've been forewarned.

Endings

The sound of a quill scribbled in the night. A few candles were dripping white wax all over the oak desk in the small room. Books and papers were scattered about and even defying the laws of physics to cling to every available surface. Geoffrey Chaucer may be a devoted writer, but his organizational skills were abysmal during a writing spree. The quill slowed and Geoff tapped the feathery frill against his cheek for a few moments before laying it aside. He sat and simply stared for a moment or so before hauling himself out of his chair to his bedroom just down the hall. Not bothering to change his clothes, Geoff merely flopped himself upon the comfortable bed and closed his eyes, allowing his mind to drift.

It had been five years since Will's triumphant victory against Ademar. Since then, they had all drifted around, catching up with each other occasionally when they crossed paths or met for a tournament. Roland had married Christiana and Jocelyn had let her handmaid go to buy a small property in London. Last Geoff had heard, they had set up their own clothing boutique and worked quite well together to produce fine formal wear for lords and ladies. He had not expected Roland to settle down so easily, but he had been quick to ask Christiana for her hand after Will was knighted. Geoff was also surprised that Jocelyn had let her beloved friend leave her service, but perhaps she had loved the romance of it.

Wat had turned into a wanderer of sorts. He had traveled with Will for a few years, attending tournaments and such, but then he began to find other things to interest him in the towns, it seemed. Wat still showed up for tournaments that he knew Will would attend, but the rest of the time it was difficult to say what he was up to. Geoff thought that he might be pursuing some wench somewhere, but he couldn't be sure.

Kate still traveled with Will to tournaments. She had bought her own forge and worked there whenever Will went home. Many knights and armors sought her for her equipment and techniques, even Ademar. Both Will and Kate were annoyed that he appeared at her forge sporadically to request that she make a new suit of armor for him, but she always refused. At first this seemed to anger the count, but in the past year, he had been showing up more often to attempt to talk to Kate without being offensive. Kate was concerned at this change of interest and continued to argue with him and refuse him. Geoff wondered how long it would take for her to break down or settle with someone else. He even had a bet going with Roland with how much longer she would last. Another year and Geoff would be a slightly richer man.

Will himself had done the expected and married Jocelyn. There had been a rather tense bout of arguments with her father over William's worth and intentions towards the nobleman's daughter, but eventually, the old man had given in and allowed Will to take his daughter in marriage. This perhaps had been helped along when Prince Edward had granted Will a bit of land just north of London where the previous landowner had died, leaving only an orphaned daughter to look after the lands. The daughter refused to marry and give her father's wealth to another knight and Prince Edward had taken over and given everything to Will. Will had allowed the daughter, Catherine, to remain in the manor and they eventually became good friends. Although angered at first, she had been relieved not to have to marry and often visited Kate's forge to talk about finding her own profession. Will and Jocelyn had lived together happily for four months when Jocelyn conceived. Nine months later had brought a beautiful young girl into the world and Will had delighted in becoming a proud father. Though often away to tournament, each time he was home he would dote on the girl and she adored him. Two years ago, Jocelyn had once again conceived, but this time, neither she nor the son she carried survived the childbirth. Will had mourned greatly for his love and stayed at the manor for a long time, taking care of his precious daughter, Angelica. His Angel, Will affectionately called her. As of late, Will had seemed to have completed his mourning and occasionally went to tournament to earn some money so that he wouldn't have to tax those that lived on his land unreasonably.

As for Geoff, he had spent two years after Will's victory furiously writing, out of creative inspiration and also to serve as a distraction. He had not seen much of his friends over that time and had suffered a bout of gambling addiction again. When at last he had shown up at Will's manor, rather ragged, Will and Jocelyn had happily given Geoff his own space in the manor, with a bedroom and study solely for himself and his recuperation. Geoff did venture off every now and then to travel and look for new inspiration, but he always returned to his place at Will's manor. He was always welcomed with excitement on Will's behalf and Angelica also looked forward to his visits, even at her young age, when he would regal them with tales of his travels. After Jocelyn's death, Geoff had stayed for a year at the manor to offer Will his comfort and Will had whole-heartedly accepted it. Several nights had found Will drinking heavily and Geoff making sure that the knight did nothing foolish. Geoff had been very relieved and mildly disappointed when Will seemed to have made his recovery and returned to himself. Geoff missed the evenings when Will poured out his soul to Geoff and he missed that intimacy.

His love for Will had not abated at any time in those five years. By the third year, Geoff had resigned himself to the fact that he was hopelessly in love with the only person that he couldn't have. It seemed that fate liked to kick him while he was down. He even enjoyed the torturous nights, knowing that Will's rooms were only a few doors down from his own at the manor. While Jocelyn had been there, she had seemed to pick up on his inclinations towards Will and surprisingly, had still accepted him in her house. Geoff could remember the talk that they had together that had stunned him almost out of words.

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"Geoff," Jocelyn had approached him in the kitchens as he had been scrounging around. He had simply hummed at her at first, too intent on finding something to make into a sandwich, but turned to face her when she repeated herself, "Geoff!"

He looked at her curiously, hands still moving to put some meat on the bread that he had found, "Yes, m'lady?"

"How long have you been in love with my husband?"

He had dropped the mutton on the floor, where one of the dogs had eagerly snatched it up. Geoff had spluttered something about what was she talking about and what kind of idea was that, when she calmly took the rest of the meat and finished off his sandwich for him.

"Do calm down, Geoff," Jocelyn bit off a piece of mutton for herself, having a large appetite while she was pregnant with her second child. "It is very difficult _not_ to love my husband, I am sure," at this she smiled to herself. Then she addressed him again, "Do you know how much he missed you while you were away for those years?"

Stunned, Geoff could only shake his head. Jocelyn had grinned and handed him his sandwich, which he let rest against the tabletop. "He asked for you at every tournament that he went to. Out of everyone, you were the only one that he could not find and he constantly worried about it. He even went to several gamblers trying to find you, but we always seemed to miss you," she went to the cupboard and found a piece of bread for herself. "When you finally showed up here, he couldn't have been more delighted. The whole night, after he had taken care of you, he babbled on how wonderful it was to have you back. I know that he loves me," here she looked at him directly, "but I know that I am not his whole life. His love for his friends, his love for you, drives him to succeed now more than ever. I may have been his prize once," she paused. Then Jocelyn reached over and took Geoff by the hand, "Now he has a new prize to work for. I am happy with my life here and I want him to be happy too." After that, she had left him to his own thoughts. He could only absorb the information and he hadn't been able to look Will or Jocelyn in the eye for several days.

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Geoff had let that puzzle slide; he had never truly been able to understand Jocelyn's ways. She had been very unpredictable during her pregnancy, especially. He could only imagine the trouble that Will had had with her alone during her first pregnancy. But Will shone with love for his wife and his daughter every day, and their life together was wonderful. It was a pity that it had been cut short for Jocelyn. Geoff had begun to care for her himself, as they got to know each other while he stayed with them. He would never forget her kindness towards him, or her silence. Will had remained oblivious to Geoff's feelings the whole time, it seemed. Geoff smiled to himself at that, the man would never change.

It had been a while since he had thought of those times, Geoff mused to himself. His new book had been taking up a large portion of his time. He had returned just a couple of weeks ago from wandering up to northern England and had spent most of the time in his study, writing furiously. Now, he was wearing down and needed a break. Will had respected Geoff's intensity so far, but Geoff could tell that Will was getting impatient at having to wait for Geoff's attention. Geoff chuckled to himself; it was rather comical the way that Will would pace around his door for a while around mealtimes, probably wondering whether he should storm in and drag him to supper or not. So far, he had not, and only made sure to have something put aside in the cupboards for Geoff later. Geoff had been glad for Will's thoughtfulness more than once and knew that he would have to make it up to Will later. What he did not expect though, was to hear a knock at the door.

Geoff groaned to himself; it seemed he had made Will wait too long. His writing time was spent for the moment. However, he was surprised that Will had not waited for the morning. It was rather late at this hour and Angelica must have gone to bed long ago. The last time that Will had come by so late was not long after Jocelyn had passed on… but Geoff halted that train of thought, he would not think of that time right now. The door rapped again and Geoff shoved himself up and opened the door to reveal an annoyed Will.

Hands on his hips, Will stared at Geoff, "Well?"

Geoff blinked. Had he missed something? It was too late for this, "Yes, Will?"

Will sighed and gently nudged Geoff into the room and took a seat on the side of Geoff's bed, "You've been locked away for two weeks. I think it's high time that we had that welcome chat that I've been waiting to have since you came back."

Geoff felt a little remorseful as he leaned against his bedpost and looked at Will, "Look, I'm sorry, Will. My muse would not leave me be until I had written down what I could. I've only just set down my quill for a rest tonight. But wouldn't you rather talk in the daytime?" He said this last bit with an exaggerated yawn, hoping Will would get the hint.

It seemed as though Sir William would be stubborn tonight, however, and he merely laid down on Geoff's pillow. "I won't keep you up too long," he promised, "but I don't have the patience to wait for morning." He admitted this, looking mildly abashed. Geoff paused, trying to drive the image of Will on his bed out of his mind, but it was rather hard when it was right before him. He sighed and decided to lie down and hopefully fall asleep before they talked too long. Geoff nudged Will and lay down next to him.

"It seems I can't be rid of you," Geoff joked and made himself comfortable, while trying not to touch Will too much.

Will grinned, "I suppose not. You're stuck with this impatient, hardheaded, foolish knight."

Geoff tried not to show how happy that made him, but he could not keep the tender smile off of his face. "Stuck, hmm? That doesn't sound too bad." He relaxed even more when Will chuckled. "So was there something you wanted to talk about, Sir Impatient William?"

Will shrugged, "Not particularly, just wanted to know what it is you've been up to?" Will shifted and moved his hands up behind his head, letting his shirt ride up a bit, showing a rather nice expanse of stomach.

Geoff mentally shook himself, a mild blush coming on. On one of the last nights he had been here before his journey, Will had come to his room, much like he had tonight. He had had a rough day and wanted to talk to Geoff for a while. Will had been so tired that he had wound up sleeping in Geoff's bedroom that night, leaving a rather restless night for Geoff. Geoff remembered how exquisite Will looked while he slept, his face framed by his golden hair, features still so young after all he had been through.

"So, did you meet anyone interesting on your journey?" Will asked.

Geoff nodded, "I did come across Wat at York. He is doing well it seems, but he still refuses to say what he's been up to."

"That stubborn blighter," Will muttered. "We'll have to track him down one of these days and fong it out of him."

Geoff chuckled, "Give him a taste of his own medicine, then? I'll leave that up to you."

Will laughed, "I don't suppose he'd take it lying down, that's true. I wouldn't take it lying down either."

"I probably would," Geoff mused. "That's why I leave the fighting to you savages," he teased. William's eyes sparkled as he turned on his side towards Geoff.

"You'll just take it then?" Will said, eyes half-closed in amusement and affection. He lightly slapped Geoff on the cheek, "There, have at ye."

Geoff found himself gazing at Will's eyes, entranced by their playfulness and openness. "Do your worst, Sir William," he murmured. "I'll not fight." He watched as Will shifted onto his knees and leaned back onto his ankles. Geoff was spellbound as he watched Will move closer, placing his hands on either side of Geoff's hips. Before he realized what Will was doing, Will had tugged Geoff's shirt up to his neck and began tickling Geoff's stomach. 'Drat,' Geoff found himself lost amid his own giggling and laughter. By some odd stroke of bad luck on his part, the guys had found Geoff to be extremely ticklish on one of their nights off and hadn't let him live it down. Now it seemed that Will had taken advantage of this knowledge. He squirmed under Will's touch, helpless under those roaming hands. And roam they did; Will was tickling him all up his ribcage and back down his hips. A part of him began to enjoy this touch and as he squirmed, Geoff prayed that Will didn't notice how this was affecting him.

Then, Will's hands rested on his hips, lightly gripping his sides as Will watched him try to calm down. Will had an evil smirk on his face and Geoff mock-pouted up at him. "No fair," he whined, "you know my weak spot."

Will's grin just spread even wider and he asked, "Are you going to fight back, then?"

Geoff felt very vulnerable with his shirt pushed up to his collarbone and his chest exposed. But he glared up at Will in defiance. "Never," he declared, watching as Will's eyes sparked with challenge.

"As you wish," Will declared, and his hands (_Christ_, those hands!) began to tickle Geoff again. His fingers ventured further, tickling Geoff's underarms and moved all the way down to his feet. Geoff's eyes had closed as he tried to pull in breath, but his eyes flung open when he felt the bed shift and found Will directly over him, knees on either side of his legs. He squirmed frantically as Will mercilessly attacked his stomach, head tilting up in his efforts. Suddenly, he felt lips on his skin just above his bellybutton and he gasped, feeling a rush of lust go through him. Will must have felt his body shudder and paused, looking up until Geoff caught his eyes. Geoff's hands moved to grip Will's wrists and Will stopped altogether. "Are you going to fight back?" Will repeated in a whisper. There was a pause as Geoff looked into Will's eyes and saw a soft uncertainty there. Geoff felt all of his muscles relax at the liquid heat and affection in Will's gaze and slumped into the mattress.

"Never," he breathed. Geoff slowly pulled Will's hand to his cheek (Will surprisingly pliant) and turned to kiss his palm, heart pounding all the while. He shut his eyes, waiting for Will to pull back or turn away. Geoff felt the bed shift and Will's hand tensed in his own, breaking Geoff's heart. He was going to pull away. He was going to get up and leave Geoff alone… He tensed until he felt a puff of breath against his cheek. Geoff only had time to open his eyes as Will turned his face and gently kissed Geoff on the lips. Geoff waited for a moment, unsure if this was real, and then he grasped at Will's neck, moaning softly and returning the kiss for all he was worth. Will made a sound of pleased surprise and opened his mouth to lick Geoff's lips, requesting entrance. Geoff acquiesced, allowing Will to enter and explore his mouth to his satisfaction, encouraging Will's tongue with his own. His lust increased tenfold as Will moved a hand down to his hips and pulled himself against Geoff, feeling Will's erection against his own.

Heat moved through him and Geoff moaned again, pressing himself against Will in an attempt to feel him everywhere at once. Will pulled back, hissing quietly at the contact. Geoff worried for a moment that he had scared Will off when Will grasped Geoff's shirt, still shoved up around his throat, and pushed it over his arms. Geoff quickly moved to help him get rid of the obstructive garment and let out a satisfied breath when Will bent to kiss his throat, throwing the shirt to the side. Geoff arched into Will's chest, hands moving to clutch at Will's shirt. Will looked up at Geoff and gently shook his head.

"Later," Will's husky voice whispered in his ear. "Let me give you this first." Geoff shuddered at Will's request, for though he was allowing Will to have the upper-hand, Geoff knew that Will would stop as soon as he asked. But he didn't ask; he never wanted this delightful sin to end. Will pressed a kiss just below Geoff's ear, giving it a lick before moving down Geoff's throat to his collarbone, pressing kisses along the way. Meanwhile, Will's hands snaked their way down Geoff's sides, tickling him a little, but eliciting a moan when they deftly untied his pant's string and pushed his pants down, brushing over his throbbing hardness.

Will briefly detached his lips from Geoff's skin to lean back and tug Geoff's pants over the rest of his legs. He also took a moment to look Geoff over, making Geoff a little nervous. Will watched Geoff fidget for a second before murmuring, "Perfect," and kissing the spot just above his navel, the spot that it had first begun. Will tossed the pants aside and thrust his tongue into Geoff's bellybutton, making Geoff gasp and Will smile. His lips moved down further to just above Geoff's erection and Geoff whimpered a little, he was so close...

Geoff was not disappointed. Will licked the tip of Geoff's staff before engulfing the head in his mouth. Trying to hold himself still, Geoff found himself panting as the tongue that had explored his mouth now explored his cock with the utmost care. He could not help the short thrusts he made into that silky cavern. Will worked his mouth over Geoff's erection, licking occasionally where his mouth could not reach. The exquisite torture did not last long and Geoff came into Will's mouth, Will swallowing as much of it as he could, with a little spilling onto his lower lip. Geoff's vision was engulfed in white and as he slowly came down from his high, he looked down to see Will watching him. Will smiled and Geoff couldn't help himself; he murmured something unintelligible and grasped Will's golden head to pull him in for a kiss, eagerly licking Will's lips, tasting himself and finding a new height to seduction. Will kissed him soundly and languidly, inviting Geoff's tongue into his mouth to taste him more completely. Geoff felt for every corner until Will slowly and gently pulled away and leaned his forehead against Geoff's. He gazed into Geoff's eyes, looking for something and closed them after he seemed to have found it.

Will softly whispered, "Thank you," and Geoff looked at him incredulously.

"I just had one of the best pleasures of my life and _you_ are thanking _me_?" He murmured back.

A smile. "Yes," Will replied simply, rubbing a hand over Geoff's neck.

Geoff just snorted. Then he took another look at Will and felt Will's erection still pressing against his hip. "It seems as though you've remained over-dressed," Geoff said huskily. He moved his hands to tug at Will's shirt again when he was stopped, once again. Geoff looked at Will, confused and a little hurt. "What's wrong, Will?"

Will sighed, "I wanted to do this for you, to show you the pleasure that you deserve. It's hurt to see you wander by yourself and I wanted to give you… something more. I don't want you to feel obligated." He paused and looked deep into Geoff's eyes, and Geoff could see the uncertainty still tainting his gaze, "I only want you to do that if you _want_ to, not just because…" he trailed off, turning away from Geoff's stare.

Geoff gave a surprised laugh, "You mean you still don't know?" Geoff pressed his hand to Will's cheek and turned Will to face him. Looking directly into Will's deep eyes, he bared his heart at last, "I've wanted this as long as I've known you. You are everything special and important to me, you're all I want…" Geoff murmured, "I love you."

Will's eyes widened and he waited for a long moment before leaning in to kiss Geoff again with the most intensity he had all night. Pulling back only slightly, Will murmured against Geoff's lips, "I love you too, Geoff."

Geoff's heart felt as though it would burst, it was beating so hard. Voice nearly failing him, he breathed, "Then I'm yours, Will." He tugged at Will's shirt again and felt relief as Will finally allowed Geoff to see him. Geoff tossed his shirt somewhere to the side and gazed at Will's chest. Scattered scars ran across it, the worst being where Ademar had struck Will with the tipped lance in their last match together. Geoff sat up to kiss the deep mark as his fingers went to work on Will's drawstring and plucked them apart, letting his pants fall to his knees. Geoff leaned back again, stroking his hands down Will's abdomen as Will shifted and kicked the offending garment from his legs.

Will leaned down and kissed Geoff tenderly on the lips before positioning himself above Geoff. He looked down for confirmation that Geoff gladly approved, and carefully prepared himself before he pressed against Geoff. Geoff tensed a little, but forced himself to relax, as he knew it would only hurt more if he let his nerves get the best of him. Will moved slowly, watching Geoff's face carefully for signs that the pain was too much. Once he was fully inside Geoff, Will waited for him to adjust. Geoff closed his eyes and shifted to adjust to the sensation. It hurt some, but it mostly felt strange. Feeling a little stiff from remaining so still, he arched his back a little and a gasp went by his lips as he felt Will brush against something inside him that made stars flash before his eyes. Quickly he pushed against Will again and Will took that as the signal to begin.

Geoff groaned as Will pulled out a little and gasped as he pushed back in. He never was a quiet lover and he could tell Will was enjoying his sounds. Geoff pushed up again and drove Will deeper into him, causing Will to moan this time. Will increased the pace and soon they found a steady rhythm that had Will touching Geoff's sweet spot nearly every time. Geoff could feel the edge of oblivion approaching again and gasped as Will took his erection in hand and pumped it in time with each thrust. Geoff reached behind Will and gave his rear a sharp tug, making Will moan and increase his thrusting even more. They began to fall out of rhythm as heaven approached, and Geoff cried out as he was blinded by his pleasure. Will soon followed, thrusting a few more times before collapsing on top of Geoff.

They lay there, waiting to resume coherent thought again. Will silently tugged at the bed sheet and gently wiped them down, enveloping Geoff in his arms. They fell asleep to murmurs of "I love you," not caring if anyone found them in the morning.

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The giggling reached Geoff's ears first. He blearily opened his eyes and felt a pair of strong arms wrapped around him and a body draped over him like a blanket. The golden strands across his face could only mean that his miracle had come true, that Will did indeed love him and they could finally be together. But who was giggling? It sounded like…

Geoff looked around his lover's arm towards the door, in which stood the little Angelica. She caught his gaze and loudly whispered, "I found Daddy!"

Blinking, Geoff wondered how Will would take it that his darling daughter had found them in such a state of undress. Nudging Will, he whispered back, "Yes you did, but Daddy's sleeping right now." Will grunted and blinked his eyes open. Seeing Geoff, Will grinned and pressed his lips to his.

"Good morning, Geoff." Will's eyes blearily twinkled their delight.

Geoff grinned, "Good morning, Will. Your daughter came to find you."

Will blinked again, "Angel?" He propped himself up and turned around to spot Angelica giggling in the doorway. Will grinned abashedly, "Good morning, sweetheart."

Angelica giggled and pointed, "Daddy's not sleeping, Uncle Geoff!"

Geoff shrugged, "I guess not, Angelica."

Will shook his head softly, "Do you need something, Angel?"

"It's time to eat, Daddy!" she announced, jumping in place in her childish excitement.

Will glanced at Geoff, sneaking a hand below the covers to brush Geoff's hip, making Geoff mock-glare at him, "You go ahead to breakfast, Angel. We'll be there shortly."

Angelica giggled again, "It's lunchtime, Daddy! Auntie Kate and Sir Horrible are here to eat with you!"

Will blinked and looked towards the window. Sure enough, the sun was streaming in. Sighing, Will removed his hand from Geoff's hip, "Ok, sweetie, we're coming. You go make sure Kate gets in alright."

"Ok Daddy!" The bright little child ran off towards the kitchens, seemingly skipping all the way.

Geoff turned towards Will with a raised eyebrow, "Sir Horrible?"

Will chuckled, "She means Ademar. While you've been gone, he actually came around and properly apologized to both Kate and I, so I've allowed him to lunch now and then."

Geoff fell silent for a moment. "Well, I guess we really did need to have a chat, didn't we?"

Will laughed heartily, "I told you so."

"Did she pick up that name from you or Kate?"

Will just whistled as he moved to get dressed and Geoff shook his head and watched. 'My knight in shining armor' he mused. Geoff quickly left off his thoughts, and instead joined Will dressing. They helped each other and somehow it took a while before they were finally able to attend lunch.

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